How to get to Saaremaa If you’re pressed for time, you can fly in from Tallinn. But for many people, the journey starts the moment they step on the ferry to Muhu.
Quite a few say it’s crossing the water that gives them a sense of freedom and signals that their vacation has begun. Life on the island is special! When you live on an island, you’re much more dependent on the weather than you are anywhere else. When it’s stormy and windy, ferries don’t sail and planes don’t fly. If you’re here, you stay here. If you’re there, you stay there. Fortunately, this very rarely happens nowadays, and everyone can get to and from the island in their preferred way.
Islands guide
The best way to get to the islands is by sea. Ferries from the mainland take you to Muhu, Hiiumaa and Ruhnu. Direct flights to Saaremaa and Hiiumaa are available from Tallinn. In winter, you can also fly to Ruhnu.
A ferry to Saaremaa
The most common way to get from the mainland to the island is by ferry. The journey takes just 30 minutes or so. The ferry makes frequent crossings in summer – so if you miss one, you’ll only have to wait half an hour for the next one. The ferries run from early morning till late at night. In winter, there’s a ferry every hour or so.
It’s recommended that you buy your ferry tickets online in advance at www.praamid.ee to avoid waits. Having a ticket in advance is very convenient: you arrive at the port, the system identifies your car’s number plate and you head straight for the priority queue. If you can’t buy a ticket online, you can buy one at the ticket office at the port. You’ll find tips for travelling by ferry on our website.
The 135 km journey from Tallinn to the port at Virtsu takes around 1 hour and 45 mins, while that from Kuivastu harbour to Kuressaare takes around 50 mins (76 km).
Fly to Saaremaa
Taking a plane from Tallinn to Kuressaare is quick and convenient. During the half-hour flight you’ll get a bird’s-eye view of Estonia and find yourself in the island’s capital just like that. On weekdays there are two daily flights (morning and evening), allowing people who are short on time to enjoy a relaxing day trip to the island. But we’d love it if you stayed longer! On Saturdays the flight departs in the morning and on Sundays in the evening.
The Kuressaare-Tallinn route is served by a NyxAir 48-seat ATR aircraft. Tickets can be purchased here.
Kuressaare Airport is just 3 km from the town centre. You can get to the airport by bus, car or taxi, but if you want to start your leisurely vacation as soon as you step off the plane, you can walk to the town centre. Bus no. 2 takes you from Kuressaare to the airport and vice versa. Find out more about the bus route here.
In addition to Tallinn, you can fly from Kuressaare to Ruhnu during winter. An eight-seater flies between the islands from 1 October to 30 April. More information can be found here.
Bus trips
There are frequent bus connections between Tallinn and Kuressaare. The bus ride is very comfortable, as most buses are equipped with WiFi and multimedia screens. The journey takes around 4 hours. Lux Express, Sirel Reisid, GO Bus and Estonian Lines offer rides on this route. Buses to Kuressaare also set off from Tartu and Pärnu.
When crossing by ferry, buses stop in bigger places like Liiva, Orissaare and Valjala.
You can buy tickets online at tpilet.ee.
Sailboats and yachts
Small harbours are always ready to welcome those brave enough to sail here by themselves. The island’s capital is home to the Roomassaare and Kuressaare harbours. There’s a café for tired and hungry travellers in both. The number of small harbours has grown rapidly, and there’s always a nice port within a day’s sailing. You’ll find information about small harbours here.
To Hiiumaa!
You can also take a ferry from Saaremaa to the neighbouring island Hiiumaa. The ferry runs from Triigi (Saaremaa) to Sõru (Hiiumaa) and vice versa. The crossing takes around an hour. There are 1-4 ferry crossings a day depending on the day and time of year. You can buy tickets here.
If it’s cold enough in the winter, you can drive to Hiiumaa across the ice. Information about ice bridges can be found here.
